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The Dallas Cowboys are completely unsettled in their coaching ranks. Presumably conducting due diligence at the head coaching position, the Cowboys want to figure out who is the top of the pecking order before they can settle in at the coordinator positions.
But it’s never too soon to identify desirable the key traits the Cowboys defense needs. Whoever takes over on the defensive side will be Dallas’ third coordinator in as many years. The Cowboys’ defense has been a mixture of dysfunction and turmoil as of late, and finding the right kind of coach is critical to their ability to turn things around.
In Dan Quinn’s last season in Dallas, they routinely fell apart against their better opponents, culminating in a postseason implosion against Green Bay. Mike Zimmer replaced Quinn, and his first year started disastrously, with the Cowboys ranking as one of the worst defenses in the NFL. They eventually rebounded when the schedule softened, but still struggled in multiple areas, particularly defending against the run.
The most optimistic takeaway from the 2024 season is that players stepped up their discipline. With less freelancing and more gap discipline, the Cowboys started looking like a real defense that could play sound football. They lacked team health and in overall talent, but they showed signs of improvement which is reason for optimism.
All of that improvement could hit a snag with the expected departure of Zimmer. Zimmer’s no-nonsense demeanor brought accountability to the defense. It’s something the next leader of the Cowboys defense needs to possess in order to keep things moving in the right direction.
If the Cowboys want to compete against the best and give their team a chance to compete in the postseason in the coming years, they need to bring in a disciplinarian who can pick up where Zimmer left off. Scheme, personnel preferences and alignments almost take a backseat to this. Discipline and accountability are what this defense needs so they can develop the right way, and with any luck, be trustworthy when things matter most.